Dr. Craig Staehle

Veterinarian (Full-Time)

Dr. Craig Staehle - Dr. Craig received his veterinary doctorate from the University of Illinois in 1996. He began his career practicing in the Chicagoland area at a clinic that offered an excellent opportunity to treat an array of exotic species. Later that year, he moved to Tampa, Florida where he practiced for a couple of years. While in Florida he worked predominately with dogs and cats, but still worked with some exotic patients. In 1998, he and his wife Kimberly moved to the Saint Louis area. Prior to opening Best Friends Animal Hospital, he practiced in the Saint Peters and O’Fallon areas of Missouri. Dr. Craig says the greatest part of his job is the joy in working with animals and the huge diversity of species and medical challenges that veterinary medicine provides. His particular areas of interest include orthopedic surgery, dentistry, and exotic animal medicine.

Dr. Craig is married to Dr. Kimberly, and they have two children, Kyle and Cassidy. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs. Growing up, his father played baseball for the Chicago White Sox and other major league baseball teams. He, his parents, and his three brothers were always very actively involved in sports. Dr. Craig has always been interested in animals. As a child, he wanted to be a marine biologist. “I always wanted to work with animals and in college, I had a sort of epiphany, and in one moment I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian.” Over the years, Dr. Craig has owned quite a list of pets, including dogs, cats, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. “I am blessed to have the greatest job in the world. You get to work with wonderful pets and have a job that never stops challenging you to learn more, do more, and help provide animals with the best life we can.” Dr. Craig especially enjoys treating reptiles and is also certified in PennHip. When not practicing he spends time with family and takes taekwondo. In 2019 he won the PetPlan Veterinarian of the Year award beating out over 2,000 nominees from the US and Canada. We couldn’t be more proud of him!